High blood pressure is when the heart works overtime to pump blood throughout the body. This can lead to chest pain, shortening of breath, and others. But what causes this? And what are the long-term effects of leaving it untreated? If you are suffering from high blood pressure in Bainbridge area, and would like an answer to this question, please read on for the answer.
Cause
What exactly causes blood pressure is not known. However, many factors play a huge role. These include too much salt in the diet, smoking, older age, inheriting from your parents, adrenal and thyroid disorders, high stress, above average alcohol consumption (more than 1-2 drinks a day) being overweight, or just not working out as much as you should. So, if you work primarily at a desk, don’t go to the gym, smoke, and are actively stressed out all day, every day, it is a very good thing that you’re reading this.
Long-term effects
Obviously, the organs that are at the most risk are your heart and arteries. Sustained high blood pressure can make microscopic tears in your artery walls. These tears then grow bigger and bigger over time, until they develop into serious scar tissue. This in turn limits how much blood can be pumped throughout the body, causing the heart to pump harder, and the problem becomes a cyclical one.
Next comes the kidneys. If blood circulation is compromised, then your kidneys, which are directly linked to the circulation of blood in order to function properly, can begin to fail. The kidneys are full of arteries, and the blood in those arteries is not blood that you want leaking out, as it is filled to the brim with toxins and bacteria that otherwise would’ve been filtered out and turned into urine.
Then comes the eyes. The blood vessels in the eyes are incredibly delicate, and high blood pressure swells your optic nerve. This causes severely impaired vision. Finally, if this continues even further, your arteries will be at risk of clogging or outright bursting. You consult experienced doctors who can accurately diagnose your condition and recommend proper treatment.
